How well is the Historic Preservation Division doing?

Do you have a favorite old building or house you make a point of passing by? And archaeological sites—does the idea of unearthing part of the past to learn more about how we arrived at the present strike a chord? If so, you probably are interested in historic preservation and should have a say about how it works in New Mexico.

The New Mexico Historic Preservation Division has asked the public to take a survey about what works in historic preservation, what doesn’t, and where the focus should be in the future. The results will be used to help set a direction in historic preservation for the next five years and will guide people working in several preservation-related capacities when they want to preserve part of New Mexico’s unique cultural heritage.

“Our survey provides citizens an opportunity to express their opinions on what preservation should be in New Mexico,” said Jeff Pappas, State Historic Preservation Officer and Director of HPD. “This survey should be taken by anyone with a fascination for history and the past, and those who are interested in education, community planning, infrastructure development, anthropology, archaeology and architecture.”

The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and can be accessed from the home page of HPD’s website: www. nmhistoricpreservation.org. It specifically addresses cultural landscapes, mid-century-modern architecture, sustainable communities, climate change and the environment, and the involvement of youth in preservation.

As of early January, more than 370 people had taken the survey, which also will be available at the educational and entertainment event “Culture Day at the Legislature,” February 1, in the rotunda of the New Mexico State Capitol building. HPD will have printed surveys available in the Capitol and will talk with the public about historic preservation. Completed surveys must be submitted by March 1 and also can be obtained by contacting HPD through the mail.

The survey results will help formulate a statewide preservation plan that will set guidelines and priorities through 2021.